Northwestern Crown

The Northwestern Crown is a hidden but unprotected gem where conservation has been overlooked for too long.

Much of the northwestern section of Montana's Crown of the Continent relies on tourism and outdoor recreation for economic support. And although Glacier National Park is well-loved, many adjacent wildlands and river still have mineral leases that been overlooked for decades.

The BLM’s Tres Rios Field Office issued a final plan today that could have balanced a number of issues, ranging from wilderness-quality lands to oil and gas leasing to protection of remarkable cultural artifacts, including those at Mesa Verde National Park.

The bill, jointly introduced by Rep. Simpson and Senator Jim Risch (R), eliminates important wild areas that have been recommended for wilderness protection by the U.S. Forest Service for nearly 30 years and significantly reduces the wilderness acreage designation from previous legislative versions, lopping off areas to cater to motorized recreation and heli-skiing.

The Every Kid in a Park initiative will provide 4th grade students and their families free admission to all national parks and other federal lands and waters for a full year, support transportation for school trips, and provide educational resources for students and teachers through field classrooms and digital materials.